I know that to lose 1lb you need to create a deficit of 3500 calories. My BMR is just over 1,600 calories per day. On top of this I exercise almost daily (running,walking uphill etc) and average at an additional 800 calories burned per day. I personally find it very hard to lose weight eating 1,200 calories per day whilst on this routine, so to test it, I dropped calories to 600-800 calories per day for 2 weeks. This should have resulted in a weight loss of 6.4lbs. However I did not lose a thing. Not even half a pound. I know that this diet was not healthy and it's not a long term thing. But I simply don't understand how nothing changed at all.

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14 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:Not losing weightI know that to lose 1lb you need to create a deficit of 3500 calories. My BMR is just over 1,600 calories per day. On top of this I exercise almost daily (running,walking uphill etc) and average at an additional 800 calories burned per day. I personally find it very hard to lose weight eating 1,200 calories per day whilst on this routine, so to test it, I dropped calories to 600-800 calories per day for 2 weeks. This should have resulted in a weight loss of 6.4lbs. However I did not lose a thing. Not even half a pound. I know that this diet was not healthy and it's not a long term thing. But I simply don't understand how nothing changed at all.

Your BMI is 25.4 That's 0.4 points away from a healthy weight, and since you exercise regularly, statistically you should be healthy whichi s to say reducing your risk of chornic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, etc. With a BMI of 25.4 it may be that you're not going to be able to lose more weight since you may be at a set point.

Calculating your BMR online is only an estimate and sketchy. There are too many variables. Your BMR could be as low as 1200. You really have no idea. The only way to really know is to have it done by calorimetry (called indirect calorimetry)Check a local university in your area and see if they have an exercise lab where this can be meaured with calorimetry. Or your doctor may know where this can be done. Or your gym has a device that does it. Or look here to do it yourself http://metabolicratetest.com/bodygem-indirect-calorimeter-measure-rmr/

If you're cutting back calories to 600-800 your body may lower metabolism to defend against more weight loss, and especially so when you add all that exercise which adds to the deficit. If your BMR is 1600 and you're consuming 1200 then the same thing can happen (keeing in mind that you may be underestimating your calorie intake, which studies show easily can happen). But whatevere your BMR is, paradoxically you may need to consume more calories to raise your metabolism and lose weight since you may have been in deep deficit for some time.

As for weight loss, the question is why you want to lose more weight at a BMI of 25.4. I suggest instead that you focus on body composition, that is, the amount of fat and muscle on your body. You could purchase a biolelectric impedance scale to measure it. Omron and Tanita are two reputable makers of these scales.

Good luck.

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Report This| Share this:Not losing weightYour BMI is 25.4 That's 0.4 points away from a healthy weight, and since you exercise regularly, statistically you should be healthy whichi s to say reducing your risk of chornic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, etc. With a BMI of 25.4 it may be that you're not going to be able to lose more weight since you may be at a set point.

Calculating your BMR online is only an estimate and sketchy. There are too many variables. Your BMR could be as low as 1200. You really have no idea. The only way to really know is to have it done by calorimetry (called indirect calorimetry)Check a local university in your area and see if they have an exercise lab where this can be meaured with calorimetry. Or your doctor may know where this can be done. Or your gym has a device that does it. Or look here to do it yourself http://metabolicratetest.com/bodygem-indirect-calorimeter-measure-rmr/

If you're cutting back calories to 600-800 your body may lower metabolism to defend against more weight loss, and especially so when you add all that exercise which adds to the deficit. If your BMR is 1600 and you're consuming 1200 then the same thing can happen (keeing in mind that you may be underestimating your calorie intake, which studies show easily can happen). But whatevere your BMR is, paradoxically you may need to consume more calories to raise your metabolism and lose weight since you may have been in deep deficit for some time.

As for weight loss, the question is why you want to lose more weight at a BMI of 25.4. I suggest instead that you focus on body composition, that is, the amount of fat and muscle on your body. You could purchase a biolelectric impedance scale to measure it. Omron and Tanita are two reputable makers of these scales.

From my experience it seems that you are consuming TOO FEW calories. You need to put your body in a constant state of burning...upping your metabolism. Making sure you're eating breakfast. Try doing your cardio just after waking and be sure to eat breakfast within an hour after that so as to keep the metabolism high and working. Eat something sensible...protein a must. An egg white omelet with veggies is perfect. Add a slice of whole grain toast. Snack throughout the day, about every 2 hours, something light to keep your metabolism going. I like to have an apple and a mini light bonbel cheese or low fat yogurt with fresh berries. Make sure you eat some healthy fats, nuts, olive oil, avocado too! A small amount goes a long way. Good luck!!!!

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Report This| Share this:Not losing weightFrom my experience it seems that you are consuming TOO FEW calories. You need to put your body in a constant state of burning...upping your metabolism. Making sure you're eating breakfast. Try doing your cardio just after waking and be sure to eat breakfast within an hour after that so as to keep the metabolism high and working. Eat something sensible...protein a must. An egg white omelet with veggies is perfect. Add a slice of whole grain toast. Snack throughout the day, about every 2 hours, something light to keep your metabolism going. I like to have an apple and a mini light bonbel cheese or low fat yogurt with fresh berries. Make sure you eat some healthy fats, nuts, olive oil, avocado too! A small amount goes a long way. Good luck!!!!

You must be mistaken in your numbers. There's no way you could eat only 1200 calories a day -- about half a normal calorie intake -- and not lose significantly. And 600-800 is starvation. You must be eating a lot more than you think you are.

Diet and weight related calorie numbers, as Dr. Weil mentioned, are rough and approximate but your report of eating so little while exercising and not losing weight is highly implausible. I suggest you are grossly underestimating your caloric intake.

Everyone is not the same. The 3500 cal per pound number is a rough guideline and there is significant variation between individuals. But the numbers you give are not reasonable. I am the same height as you and weigh about 165. (btw, your weight naturally fluctuates by 2 or 3 pounds from day to day and throughout the day depending on degree of hydration, glycogen storage, GI contents, etc..). I count the calories I consume and again, these types of numbers are not precise, but if I ate 1200 calories a day I'd be hungry all the time and would shrink down to nothing pretty fast. As Dr. Weil said, you are not really overweight and should be concentrating on body composition (proportion of muscle to fat), not the number on the bathroom scale. I am curious, though, how you manage to be so far off in your estimate of your caloric intake. I must point out I am assuming you don't have some sort of serious metabolic or GI disorder which prevents you from absorbing the calories you swallow.

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Report This| Share this:Not losing weightYou must be mistaken in your numbers. There's no way you could eat only 1200 calories a day -- about half a normal calorie intake -- and not lose significantly. And 600-800 is starvation. You must be eating a lot more than you think you are.

Diet and weight related calorie numbers, as Dr. Weil mentioned, are rough and approximate but your report of eating so little while exercising and not losing weight is highly implausible. I suggest you are grossly underestimating your caloric intake.

Everyone is not the same. The 3500 cal per pound number is a rough guideline and there is significant variation between individuals. But the numbers you give are not reasonable. I am the same height as you and weigh about 165. (btw, your weight naturally fluctuates by 2 or 3 pounds from day to day and throughout the day depending on degree of hydration, glycogen storage, GI contents, etc..). I count the calories I consume and again, these types of numbers are not precise, but if I ate 1200 calories a day I'd be hungry all the time and would shrink down to nothing pretty fast. As Dr. Weil said, you are not really overweight and should be concentrating on body composition (proportion of muscle to fat), not the number on the bathroom scale. I am curious, though, how you manage to be so far off in your estimate of your caloric intake. I must point out I am assuming you don't have some sort of serious metabolic or GI disorder which prevents you from absorbing the calories you swallow.

Me to I exercise every other day I walk 5 miles and watch my calories and drink my water and every thing it's been over a month now I have not lost any weight in September I will be 52 .And it's never been so hard to lose weight ! .Please Can any one tell me the Secret !!!

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Report This| Share this:Not losing weightMe to I exercise every other day I walk 5 miles and watch my calories and drink my water and every thing it's been over a month now I have not lost any weight in September I will be 52 .And it's never been so hard to lose weight ! .Please Can any one tell me the Secret !!!

1200calories is not that terrible. I've been on a 1000 calorie diet for a year and a half. The most I go is to 1200 calories. I have not lost any sig ificant weight. As a matter of fact I just gained about 10-12 pounds because I went over 1200 calories too many days while in Fl for two months. I walk 10,000 steps most days, go up and down the stairs at least 10 times a day, wear a fit bit 24/7. I am 58 years old and my BMI is 33. Something. I eat mostly veges, have Greek yogurt for breakfast, I drink nothing but water. I don't like juice or seltzer and gave up drinking because it wasn't worth the calories. I go to the gym 5 days a week when I'm home. I walk on the treadmill, work with a trainer and do a bunch of stuff. Can't figure out why I can't lose any weight. For the amount of exercise and the intake of food, I should be at my goal weight in no time. But it's not happening. Any advice would be helpful.

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Report This| Share this:Not losing weight1200calories is not that terrible. I've been on a 1000 calorie diet for a year and a half. The most I go is to 1200 calories. I have not lost any sig ificant weight. As a matter of fact I just gained about 10-12 pounds because I went over 1200 calories too many days while in Fl for two months. I walk 10,000 steps most days, go up and down the stairs at least 10 times a day, wear a fit bit 24/7. I am 58 years old and my BMI is 33. Something. I eat mostly veges, have Greek yogurt for breakfast, I drink nothing but water. I don't like juice or seltzer and gave up drinking because it wasn't worth the calories. I go to the gym 5 days a week when I'm home. I walk on the treadmill, work with a trainer and do a bunch of stuff. Can't figure out why I can't lose any weight. For the amount of exercise and the intake of food, I should be at my goal weight in no time. But it's not happening. Any advice would be helpful.

I agree. The "secret" is no sugar, no added sodium (meaning, stay away from processed, fake foods!), and eat a diet full of fresh, whole foods found in nature. I haven't hit menopause yet, but losing weight in my 30's has been easy, just by doing the above mentioned! So I hope it will be a breeze...

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Report This| Share this:Not losing weightI agree. The "secret" is no sugar, no added sodium (meaning, stay away from processed, fake foods!), and eat a diet full of fresh, whole foods found in nature. I haven't hit menopause yet, but losing weight in my 30's has been easy, just by doing the above mentioned! So I hope it will be a breeze...

A calorie is not a calorie! Foods containing sugar, or simple carbohydrates like white flour, spike insulin levels. Raised insulin levels creates body fat that is hard to lose, no matter what you do. So, the secret is to cut out all things sugar, and eat only complex carbohydrates with meals, thereby keeping your insulin levels in check 100% of the time.

A calorie is not a calorie! Foods containing sugar, or simple carbohydrates like white flour, spike insulin levels. Raised insulin levels creates body fat that is hard to lose, no matter what you do. So, the secret is to cut out all things sugar, and eat only complex carbohydrates with meals, thereby keeping your insulin levels in check 100% of the time.

Checking all your hormone levels is essential, like estrogen, thyroid hormones, etc. If any are out of whack, then it may be why you're putting on weight/hard to lose weight.

If you are not sleeping well every night, your cortisol levels rise, which cause you to gain weight or makes it hard to lose weight.

If you are eating foods or drinks with sugar, or eat simple carbs like white flour, pretzels, cereal, pasta, etc., your insulin levels spike, causing you to put on weight/makes it hard to lose.

So hormones are the key to weight loss success!

1,000 calories for the past year and a half may be too low, based on the amount of exercise you do. You're body could be going into starvation mode, which means that your metabolism is...non-existent, which means your body is not burning calories efficiently, if at all! You want your metabolism to be fired up and working on all cylinders!

There are many calorie calculators on the net. Find one, and figure out how many calories you need to maintain your weight with the amount of exercise you do. I bet it's more than 1,200!

Then, stop "dieting," a.k.a. restricting calories, and recalibrate your metabolism by eating the number of calories to maintain your current weight.

Then, a few months later, you can try reducing a few hundred calories to lose weight, and this too, on a short-term basis!

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Report This| Share this:Not losing weightChecking all your hormone levels is essential, like estrogen, thyroid hormones, etc. If any are out of whack, then it may be why you're putting on weight/hard to lose weight.

If you are not sleeping well every night, your cortisol levels rise, which cause you to gain weight or makes it hard to lose weight.

If you are eating foods or drinks with sugar, or eat simple carbs like white flour, pretzels, cereal, pasta, etc., your insulin levels spike, causing you to put on weight/makes it hard to lose.

So hormones are the key to weight loss success!

1,000 calories for the past year and a half may be too low, based on the amount of exercise you do. You're body could be going into starvation mode, which means that your metabolism is...non-existent, which means your body is not burning calories efficiently, if at all! You want your metabolism to be fired up and working on all cylinders!

There are many calorie calculators on the net. Find one, and figure out how many calories you need to maintain your weight with the amount of exercise you do. I bet it's more than 1,200!

Then, stop "dieting," a.k.a. restricting calories, and recalibrate your metabolism by eating the number of calories to maintain your current weight.

Then, a few months later, you can try reducing a few hundred calories to lose weight, and this too, on a short-term basis!

I have read your post. I think that you should take low fat and carbs in your diet and also drink more water. But with that don't forget to take exercise. I don't think that just diet or just a single exercise can help you to lose weight.

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Report This| Share this:Not losing weightI have read your post. I think that you should take low fat and carbs in your diet and also drink more water. But with that don't forget to take exercise. I don't think that just diet or just a single exercise can help you to lose weight.

Hmmm, I never said I had a weight problem or anything...are you sure you are replying to me? I eat some fat (nuts, avocados, flaxseed meal), plus lots of carbs (I'm a gluten-free vegan...I eat a whole food, plant-based diet), plus protein too, you are forgetting...you can't live without protein! Oh, and I drink 10-13 cups of water daily...any more than that, I'd be at risk for an electrolyte imbalance!

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Report This| Share this:Not losing weightHmmm, I never said I had a weight problem or anything...are you sure you are replying to me? I eat some fat (nuts, avocados, flaxseed meal), plus lots of carbs (I'm a gluten-free vegan...I eat a whole food, plant-based diet), plus protein too, you are forgetting...you can't live without protein! Oh, and I drink 10-13 cups of water daily...any more than that, I'd be at risk for an electrolyte imbalance!

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